What’s On at Easter on Anna Maria Island

Springtime in Anna Maria and the surrounding areas is an embarrassment of riches.

Here we list some of the exciting events you can look forward to in April, plus a roundup of the Easter celebrations in the area.

April

• Over the past sixteen years, the annual Sarasota Film Festival has evolved into one of the worlds most prestigious and respected venues for both established and up-and-coming filmmakers to debut their latest projects. This year’s festival runs from April 4^th through the 13^th and will feature nearly 200 films in a variety of genres. Visit their website at http://www.sarasotafilmfestival.com/ for a film schedule and to purchase tickets.
• Friday April 4^th and Saturday, April 5^th marks the return of ArtWalk to Bradenton’s Village of the Arts. Tour an eclectic mix of artsy gardens including sculpture gardens, bamboo waterfall gardens, clay in the garden, garden art, traditional gardens and more. Admission is free. Visit www.villageofthearts.com  to learn more.
• On Friday, April 11th and Saturday, April 12^th, the Island CityFest will come to the Holmes Beach City Hall Field at 5801 Marina Drive. This two-day family friendly event will feature constant  live music and entertainment, a food court featuring local island restaurants and vendors, drinks including wine, beer, rum runners and margaritas a vintage car show, and much more. For more info call 941-778-1541.

Easter

• Easter celebrations kick off a week early this year! On Saturday, April 12^th, 2014, Lakewood Ranch will host its annual Eggstravaganza Easter Egg Hunt at Adventure Park. Kids ages 2 through to 13 can participate in the hunt, and the whole family can stick around to enjoy face painting, pictures with the Easter bunny, a petting zoo, and complimentary refreshments. For more details, visit http://www.lwrcac.com/eggstravaganza/
• The Sandbar Restaurant’s Easter Egg Hunt and Roll down Pine Avenue has become a beloved Anna Maria tradition. On Saturday, April 19^th, festivities will kick off at 9am with an Easter egg hunt on the beach in front of The Sandbar. This event is BYOB – bring your own basket!

Pine Avenue Easter Parade

• Immediately following the egg hunt, the Easter Bunny himself will lead a parade down Pine Avenue to where an Easter Egg Roll and Easter Bonnet Contest, many and other fun activities will be set up. The Easter Bunny will take pictures with the children in front of the Olive Oil Outpost at 401 Pine. See http://www.groupersandwich.com/news/?s=easter for more information.
• If you’re a morning person, be sure to start your Easter early with a glorious dawn sunrise service performed by the Manatee Ministerial Association on the banks of the Manatee River. The De Soto Conquistadors will be in attendance in full traditional dress, which will make for a truly moving and historical way to celebrate Easter. The service starts promptly at 6:30am. See http://www.desotohq.com/ to learn more.

We hope you all have a lovely Easter, wherever you may be. Why not join us on our Facebook page to keep updated with everything that is happening on the Island.